I hope you’ve managed to resist the urge to fill your fridge and pantry to
bursting point but having said that I love the fun of using up leftover bits of
this and that.
Now for a few
ideas…Not sure if there will be any little morsels of turkey or crispy skin
left over after everyone has tucked into turkey sandwiches on Christmas evening
but, if there are, strip off the carcass to make this delicious pilaff. Then pop
the carcass into a pot with 2 or 3 quartered onions, same of carrots and a
stick or two of celery, a sprig of thyme and a few peppercorns. If you don’t
use the giblets (neck, heart and gizzard) to make a flavourful stock for the
gravy, add them in to the pot. Cover the whole lot with cold water, bring to the
boil, skim and simmer for 3 to 4 hours. Strain and you’ll have a delicious pot
of turkey broth to sip or use as a base for a stew, casserole or to make an
unctuous risotto or the pilaff.
Use the turkey liver
immediately while it is fresh to make this parfait and serve it in little pots with
plump Pedro Ximénez raisins. It’ll make a delicious starter or can be slathered
on crisp, hot toast for a snack. (Read on for the recipe).
What other
leftovers? Might you have any leftover Brussel sprouts, if so trim the
outsides, then half or quarter each one, blanch, drain well, toss in extra
virgin olive oil and roast in a hot oven. Then toss with chorizo crumbs – so
yummy. I’m loving roasted cauliflower and Romanesco florets too.
Leftover
cranberry sauce keeps well so don’t fuss about using it up but do try it with
some soft goat cheese. Fresh cranberries also keep well and of course freeze
perfectly, otherwise throw a fistful into your salads, scones, muffins or soda bread.
Maybe stew them down, add a little chopped rosemary and add them to an apple sauce
to serve with a pork chop or make a ‘catch-all’ cranberry chutney.
Sprinkle left over
mincemeat into a batch of scones. Serve them warm with the remainder of the
brandy butter.
What else might you have lurking in your fridge, perhaps some miscellaneous
morsels of cheese? Well I’ve got just the perfect recipe, a little gem that
turns leftover cheese into delicious biscuits. A perfect snack or an
irresistible nibble to serve with a glass of wine.
Make breadcrumbs
from left over bread and pop them into the freezer. They’ll be so useful for
crumbles, stuffing or panagratto to sprinkle over stews or gratins, sweet or savoury
or make a Queen of Puddings. Otherwise make a bread and butter pudding, it’s a
brilliant, catch-all for all kinds of scraps, morsels of meat or smoked fish, Brussel
sprouts, chard, sautéed mushrooms, chopped herbs, grated cheese… just omit the
sugar for a savoury version and serve with a
good green salad.
Well, there are
just a few ideas to help you to be creative with your leftovers. Meanwhile, a
very Happy Christmas and New Year, hopefully you’ll manage
to get a few delicious long walks in….
Turkey Liver Parfait with Pedro Ximénez Raisins
Serves
10-12 depending on how it is served.
225g
(8oz) fresh organic turkey livers
2
tablespoons
200-300g
(8-12oz) butter (depending on how strong the livers are)
1
teaspoon fresh thyme leaves
1
large clove garlic, crushed
225g
(8oz) butter, cubed
freshly
ground pepper
50g
(2oz) of raisins or sultanas
2
tablespoons Pedro Ximénez Sherry
50g
(2oz) pistachio nuts, halved
clarified
or melted butter to seal
Put
the raisins into a small bowl, cover with warm Pedro Ximenez and leave to soak
until plump and juicy.
Wash
the livers in cold water and remove any membrane or green tinged bits. Dry on
kitchen paper.
Melt
a little butter in a frying pan; when the butter foams add in the livers and
cook over a gentle heat. Be careful not
to overcook them or the outsides will get crusty; all trace of pink should be
gone. Add the crushed garlic and thyme
leaves to the pan, stir and then de-glaze the pan with brandy, allow to flame
or reduce for 2-3 minutes. Scrape everything with a spatula into a food
processor. Purée for a few seconds. Allow
to cool.
Add
the butter. Purée until smooth. Season
carefully, taste and add more butter.
This
parfait should taste fairly mild and be quite smooth in texture. Fill into little
pots or into one large terrine. Tap on
the worktop to knock out any air bubbles. Spoon a little clarified butter over
the top of each little pot of pâté to seal. If serving immediately spoon the
Pedro Ximénez soaked raisins and pistachio nuts on top.
Serve
with brioche, crusty bread, sourdough toasts or croutes. This parfait will keep for 4 or 5 days in a
refrigerator.
Watchpoint: It
is essential to cover turkey liver pate with a layer of clarified or even just
melted butter, otherwise the parfait will oxidize and taste bitter and turn
grey in colour.
Pilaff Rice with Turkey and Ham and Fresh Herbs
Although a risotto
can be made in 20 minutes it entails 20 minutes of pretty constant stirring
which makes it feel rather laboursome. A pilaff on the other hand looks after
itself once the initial cooking is underway. The pilaff is versatile – serve it
as a staple or add whatever tasty bits you have to hand. Beware however of
using pilaff as a dustbin, all additions should be carefully seasoned and
balanced.
Serves 8
25g (1oz) butter
2 tablespoons finely chopped onion or shallot
400g (14oz) long-grain rice (preferably Basmati)
975ml (32fl oz) homemade turkey or chicken stock
225g (8oz) diced cooked turkey
225g (8oz) diced cooked ham or bacon
salt and freshly ground pepper
2 tablespoons freshly chopped herbs eg. parsley,
thyme, chives: optional
Melt the butter in a casserole, add the finely chopped
onion and sweat for 2-3 minutes. Add the rice and toss for a minute or two,
just long enough for the grains to change colour. Season with salt and freshly
ground pepper, add the chicken stock, cover and bring to the boil. Reduce the
heat to a minimum and then simmer on top of the stove or in the oven
160C/325F/Gas Mark 3 for 10 minutes approx. By then the rice should be just
cooked and all the water absorbed. At this stage stir in the diced turkey and
ham/bacon to heat through, ensure it is piping hot. Just before serving stir in
the fresh herbs if using.
Note
Basmati rice cooks quite quickly; other types of rice
may take up to 15 minutes.
Roast Brussels Sprouts with Chorizo Crumbs
Serves 4-6
I first tasted
roast Brussels sprouts cooked in a wood burning oven in a restaurant in San
Francisco about ten years ago. My friend Mary Risley told me this new way of
cooking Brussels sprouts was causing lots of excitement. I didn’t get it, but
now I love them cooked this way, there’s a fine line between sweet roasted and
acrid burnt, so watch them like a hawk.
(450g)
1lb Brussels sprouts
extra
virgin olive oil
flaky
sea salt
freshly
ground black pepper
Chorizo
crumbs to serve (see recipe)
Preheat the oven
to 230°C/450°F/Mark 8.
If necessary trim
the Brussels sprouts of any tough outside leaves, trim the stalk, cut into
halves. Blanch in boiling water for 2 – 3 minutes. Drain well. In a bowl drizzle the blanched sprouts with
extra virgin olive oil. Season with flaky sea salt and freshly ground black
pepper, toss to coat. Transfer to a roasting tin, cook for 10 – 15 minutes
depending on size, shake the pan occasionally. The sprouts should be pale
golden and crisp on the outside and tender within. Sprinkle with the chorizo
crumbs and transfer to a hot serving dish.
Chorizo & Parsley Crumbs
Chorizo crumbs are
delicious used in so many ways. We like
to scatter them over potato, celeriac, Jerusalem artichoke or watercress
soup. They are particularly good
sprinkled over cauliflower or macaroni cheese.
Keep in a box in your fridge for several weeks, or freeze and scatter
when you fancy!
Makes 175g (6oz)
4 tablespoons
extra virgin olive oil
125g (4 1/2oz)
chorizo, peeled and cut into 1/4 inch dice
100g (3 1/2oz)
coarse breadcrumbs
1 – 2 tablespoons
chopped flat leaf parsley
Put the oil into a
cool pan, add the diced chorizo. Toss on
a low heat until the oil starts to run and the chorizo begins to crisp. Careful it’s easy to burn the chorizo, drain
through a metal sieve, save the oil and return to the pan.
Increase the heat,
add coarse breadcrumbs and toss in the chorizo oil until crisp and golden. Drain and allow to cool, add to the chorizo,
stir in the chopped parsley.
Doune McKenzie's Cheese Biscuits
Any bits of left over cheese eg. Cheddar, Parmesan,
Gruyére, Coolea, Cashel Blue … a little soft cheese may also be added but you
will need some hard cheese to balance the flavour.
Weigh cheese then use equal amounts of butter and
plain white flour.
Grate the cheese - rinds and all. Dice the
butter. Cream the butter and stir in the
flour and grated cheese, form into a roll like a long sausage, about 4cm (1 1/2
inches) thick. Alternatively whizz in a food processor until it forms a dough,
shape using a little flour if necessary. Wrap in parchment and twist the end
like a Christmas cracker. Chill in the refrigerator for 1 -2 hours until
solid.
Slice into rounds - about 7mm (1/3 inch) thick. Arrange on a baking tray, cook in a preheated
oven 250ºC/475ºF/regulo 9 for approximately 5 minutes until golden brown.
Leave to cool for a couple of seconds then transfer to
a wire rack. Best eaten on the day they
are made as they soften quite quickly.
